Touch screen based interaction with traffic data

ABSTRACT

Touch screen based interaction with traffic data is disclosed. A virtual broadcast presentation may be generated based on dynamic information such as traffic information, weather information, or other information that may be featured on a virtual broadcast presentation. A signal generated by a touch screen may be received. The generated signal may be processed and the virtual broadcast presentation may be updated in response to the processed signal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part and claims the priority benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/398,120 filed Mar. 4, 2009 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,691,072 and entitled “Controlling a Three-Dimensional Virtual Broadcast.” The disclosure of the aforementioned application is incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to broadcast presentation technology. More particularly, the present invention concerns the use of a touch screen to interact with traffic information and other related data presented during a virtual broadcast presentation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Existing broadcast presentations generally include a variety of maps, images, and animations that display current or forecasted conditions for reference by a presenter (i.e., news reporter) during a broadcast presentation such as a traffic or weather report. The broadcast presentation is often produced prior to a scheduled broadcast for presentation by a traffic or weather reporter in a fixed arrangement (much like a slide show) with a prerehearsed script. Although the presenter has the ability to control the speed and manner in which the broadcast presentation is presented to a viewing audience, the content in the maps and images remains fixed. That is, the content presented during the broadcast presentation is not in real-time and is outdated. The reporting of outdated information (e.g., traffic or weather information) may have a drastic effect on a viewing audience who may rely on the reported information to make decisions about such things as travel or logistics.

Another shortcoming of existing broadcast technology is the lack of interaction with the content of the virtual broadcast presentation. Since the presentation contains pre-determined content, a presenter is unable to directly interact with or manipulate the maps and images of the presentation. The presenter cannot, for example, retrieve real-time conditions or other information associated with the maps or images of the presentation.

As such, there is a need in the art for touch screen based interaction with traffic data and other related data.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention allow a presenter to interact with traffic data and other related data in real-time using a touch screen or other suitable display.

In a first claimed embodiment, a method for touch screen based interaction with traffic data is claimed. Through the method, a virtual broadcast presentation is generated based on traffic data received from one or more information sources. A signal based on user interaction with a touch screen is generated and received. User interaction may include the selection of an interactive element included in the virtual broadcast presentation. The signal generated by the touch screen is then processed and the virtual broadcast presentation is updated in response to the processed signal.

In a second claimed embodiment, a system for touch screen based interaction with traffic data is claimed. The system includes at least a communications module and a presentation rendering module, each module stored in memory and executable by a processor. Execution of the communications module by the processor receives a signal generated by the touch screen. The signal may be based on user interaction with the touch screen, wherein the user interaction includes selection of an interactive element included in a virtual broadcast presentation. Execution of the presentation rendering module by the processor generates the virtual broadcast presentation based on traffic data received from one or more information sources, processes the signal generated by the touch screen, and updates the virtual broadcast presentation in response to the processed signal.

In a third claimed embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is claimed. The storage medium includes a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform a method for touch screen based interaction with traffic data. A virtual broadcast presentation is generated based on traffic data received from one or more information sources. A signal based on user interaction with a touch screen is generated and received. User interaction may include the selection of an interactive element included in the virtual broadcast presentation. The signal generated by the touch screen is then processed and the virtual broadcast presentation is updated in response to the processed signal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an environment for the broadcast of a virtual broadcast presentation that a user may interact with and reference in real-time.

FIG. 2 illustrates the virtual broadcast presentation engine of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate a virtual broadcast presentation displayed on a touch screen.

FIG. 4 illustrates an interactive element appearing in a virtual broadcast presentation.

FIG. 5 illustrates the interaction technique of “pinching” used with a virtual broadcast presentation.

FIGS. 6A-6B illustrate a virtual broadcast presentation in ‘trip time’ mode.

FIGS. 7A-7B illustrate a traffic camera appearing within a virtual broadcast presentation.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for touch screen based interaction with traffic data presented in a virtual broadcast presentation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides for the use of a touch screen to interact with traffic information and other related data during a virtual broadcast presentation. The virtual broadcast presentation may include maps, images, graphics, animations, multimedia overlays, and the like, that are rendered in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional manner on a display such as a touch screen. A presenter may refer to the presentation in real-time and may manipulate a view of the virtual broadcast presentation using the touch screen. The presenter may also use the touch screen to select an interactive element included in the broadcast presentation.

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an environment for the broadcast of a virtual broadcast presentation that a user may interact with and reference in real-time. The environment 100 of FIG. 1 includes a computing device 110 having a virtual broadcast presentation engine 120. The computing device 110 of FIG. 1 is communicatively coupled to information sources 130, a touch screen 140, and a broadcast system 150. While FIG. 1 illustrates one particular environment 100 including certain elements for the broadcast of a virtual presentation, alternative embodiments may be implemented that utilize differing elements than those disclosed in FIG. 1 (or combinations of the same), but that otherwise fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

The computing device 110 and the virtual broadcast presentation engine 120 may generate a composite presentation that includes a virtual broadcast presentation. The virtual broadcast presentation may be two-dimensional or three-dimensional. The composite presentation may be generated using information obtained in real-time (or near real-time) from the information sources 130 as described in further detail below. The virtual broadcast presentation engine 120, in particular, is discussed with respect to FIG. 2. The computing device 110 may include various components such as one or more of communications interfaces, a processor, memory, storage, and any number of buses providing communication therebetween (not depicted). The processor may execute instructions implemented through computing modules or engines while the memory and storage may both permanently or temporarily store data including the aforementioned modules and engines.

The information sources 130 may be provided by various organizations and in a variety of forms. Information sources 130 may include data sources related to traffic data such as traffic flow and as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/302,418, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,221,287, or weather data such as forecasts. Information sources 130 may also include data sources related to newsworthy events or incidents, school closings, election results, and other information that may be featured in a virtual broadcast presentation. Information sources 130 may require subscription or authentication for access and may be accessible via Telnet, FTP, or web services protocols. Information may be received from information sources 130 in real-time or near real-time to allow for generation of an equally real-time or near real-time presentation. That presentation may, in turn, be manipulated in real-time.

In an embodiment of the present invention utilizing traffic data specific to the San Francisco Bay area, information sources 130 may include one or more of the 511.org system (a collaboration of public agencies including the California Highway Patrol, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and CALTRANS), the California Highway Patrol (CHP) World Wide Web server, the PeMS system at the University of California at Berkeley, various public event listings, or a publicly or privately accessible user input mechanism. For weather data, the information sources 130 may include the National Weather Service among other weather information sources. Other data sources or alternative types of data sources (e.g., non-traffic and non-weather related sources) may be incorporated and utilized in various embodiments of the present invention.

Touch screen 140 may be any multi-touch touch screen known in the art capable of recognizing complex gestures. Touch screen 140 may employ any touch screen technology known in the art including but not limited to resistive technology, surface acoustic wave technology, capacitive sensing (e.g., surface capacitance, projected capacitance, mutual capacitance, self capacitance), infrared, force panel technology, optical imaging, dispersive signal technology, acoustic pulse recognition, and the like. A presenter may interact with touch screen 140 using any interaction technique known in the art such as touch-drag motions, “pinching,” (e.g., zooming in or out of a web page or photo by touching the user interface and either spreading two fingers apart or bringing two fingers close together), scrolling (e.g. sliding a finger up and down or left and right to scroll through a page), or other user-centered interactive effects (e.g. horizontally sliding sub-section, bookmarks menu, menu bars, and a “back” button). Touch screen 140 may include various sensors such as a light sensor for adjusting touch screen brightness. Touch screen 140 may also include a tilt sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscopic component, and/or magnetometer for sensing orientation of touch screen 140 and/or switching between landscape and portrait modes. Touch screen 140 may be a liquid crystal display or any other suitable display.

The broadcast system 150 disseminates the composite presentation to viewers. Dissemination may occur via radio waves such as UHF or VHF, cable, satellite, or the World Wide Web. Hardware and software necessary to effectuate a broadcast may be included in the broadcast system 150 and are generally known to those skilled in the broadcasting art.

FIG. 2 illustrates the virtual broadcast presentation engine of FIG. 1. The virtual broadcast presentation engine 120 of FIG. 2 includes a communications module 210, a presentation rendering module 220, a selection module 230, a feedback module 240, and a trip calculation module 250. The virtual broadcast presentation engine 120 and its constituent modules may be stored in memory and executed by a processing device to effectuate the functionality corresponding thereto. The virtual broadcast presentation engine 120 may be composed of more or less modules (or combinations of the same) and still fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, the functionality of the selection module 230 and the functionality of the feedback module 240 may be combined into a single module.

Execution of the communications module 210 allows for receipt of a signal generated by touch screen 140, which may be based at least partially on a user selection such as the selection by a presenter of an interactive element displayed within the virtual broadcast presentation. The signal may additionally be based on—in part or in whole—the actuation of other components included within the virtual broadcast presentation such as various soft keys with different functionalities.

In addition to the signal generated by touch screen 140, execution of the communications module 210 may also allow for receipt of dynamic information from information sources 130. This dynamic information may be used by other modules for generating, manipulating, and interacting with the virtual broadcast presentation.

Referring again to FIG. 2, execution of the presentation rendering module 220 allows for the generation of a virtual broadcast presentation based on the dynamic information received through execution of the communications module 210. The dynamic information may include traffic information, weather information, newsworthy events or incidents, election results, school closings, or other information that may be featured in a virtual broadcast presentation.

Execution of the presentation rendering module 220 may also allow for manipulation of a view of the virtual broadcast presentation in response to the signal received by the communications module 210 from touch screen 140. Manipulating the view of the presentation may include one or more of panning across, rotating, tilting, or zooming in/out of the virtual broadcast presentation. Signals corresponding to various motions of touch screen 140 may be assigned to various other manipulations of the virtual broadcast presentation. For example, touching touch screen 140 with one finger and moving the finger upwards may adjust the view and scroll upwards along the map or presentation. As another example, actuation of a soft key displayed within the virtual broadcast presentation may affect zoom speed, whereas actuation of a different soft key may affect zoom direction.

Execution of the selection module 230 allows for selection of an interactive element included in the virtual broadcast presentation in response to the received signal. An interactive element may include a soft key displayed within the virtual broadcast presentation. The interactive element may also represent a traffic alert. For example, if road construction is taking place at a given intersection of two streets, an icon indicative of road construction may be placed in the virtual broadcast presentation at a position that corresponds to that given intersection. Execution of the selection module 230 may also select the interactive element when the interactive element is positioned near the center of the virtual broadcast presentation.

Selecting the interactive element may cause one of a variety of responses from the virtual broadcast presentation. For example, selection of an interactive element may cause additional information related to the interactive element to be displayed within the virtual broadcast presentation. In one embodiment, the interactive element may correspond to a traffic camera wherein selection of the interactive element causes a live camera view to appear within the virtual broadcast presentation.

Execution of the feedback module 240 provides feedback to the presenter to inform the presenter that a given interactive element is selectable. For example, the interactive element may be selectable in certain regions of the virtual broadcast presentation, such as the center. When the interactive element enters or leaves the center of the virtual broadcast presentation, the presenter may be informed via feedback. The feedback may include highlighting of the interactive element. To avoid distracting or otherwise undesirable imagery such as a cursor being included in the virtual broadcast presentation, non-visible feedback may be invoked. Examples of non-visible feedback include a vibration of touch screen 140 or an audible tone.

Execution of the feedback module 240 also provides feedback to the presenter that a given interactive element has been successfully selected. For example, if the presenter has selected a particular interactive element, feedback module 240 may highlight the interactive element, change the color or appearance of the interactive element, or cause the interactive element to blink or flash continually. Such feedback confirms the selection of the interactive element and prevents the presenter from selecting the same interactive element multiple times.

Execution of the trip calculation module 250 may allow for the determination or calculation of an estimated amount of time (e.g., ‘trip time’) needed to travel from a selected location to another location. For example, the presenter may select a first interactive element displayed in the virtual broadcast presentation wherein the first interactive element corresponds to a starting point or location. The presenter may then select a second interactive element displayed in the presentation that corresponds to a desired end point or destination location. An interactive element or starting/end point may include a particular street, road, landmark or point of interest, highway, neighborhood, town, city, area, region or the like. Trip calculation module 250 may calculate the estimated amount of time required to traverse the real world distance from the first selected interactive element to the second interactive element in real-time considering, at least in part, information from information sources 130. When calculating a trip time, trip calculation module 250, for example, may consider the actual distance from the starting point to the end point, as well as various conditions affecting travel, including current weather conditions or traffic conditions such as a recent accident or road closure. In another embodiment, trip calculation module 250 may be used to calculate an estimated travel distance between two selected locations. Execution of trip calculation module 250 may occur following the actuation of a ‘mode key’ as discussed further in FIG. 3A below.

Execution of the virtual broadcast presentation engine 120 may output the virtual broadcast presentation to other components of the computing device 110 for generation of the composite presentation. Accordingly, the computing device 110 may output the composite presentation to the broadcast system 150 for dissemination to viewers.

FIG. 3A illustrates a virtual broadcast presentation 300 displayed on a touch screen 140. The presentation 300 of FIG. 3A includes traffic information. The principles described herein with respect to traffic are equally applicable to embodiments of the present invention that include weather information, newsworthy events or incidents, school closings, election results, or other information that may be featured on a virtual broadcast presentation. Presentation 300 may be generated and manipulated by execution of the presentation rendering module 220 in real-time. Presentation 300 may include satellite images of a given area with an animated road traffic report. A detailed description of animated road traffic reports may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/302,418, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,221,287, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

Satellite images may be manipulated by execution of the presentation rendering module 220 to aid in generating three-dimensional information. For example, two-dimensional satellite images may be processed in the context of other geographical information (e.g., topographical information) to generate a three-dimensional satellite image that reflects information along an x-, y-, and z-axis as illustrated in presentation 300. The textured three-dimensional representation of landscape of a particular urban area aligns with and provides the three-dimensional coordinates for the road ways that may be animated and overlaid on the satellite images.

The presentation 300 may also include a variety of markers (310A-310C) to identify or label various locations, landmarks, or points of interest appearing in presentation 300 such as exit ramps, highways, named sections of highways, or city streets. These markers may be readily or universally recognizable, such as a highway marker resembling a California state highway sign with the appropriate highway number. Presentation 300 may also include markers or icons corresponding to the location of traffic incidents, road construction, and traffic cameras. Some or all of these markers 310C may be interactive elements of the virtual broadcast presentation 300 and show real-time conditions, such as an average traffic speed associated with a particular location. An interactive element may include any marker, icon, label, object, or image appearing in presentation 300 that may be associated with real-time content or data. An interactive element, for example, may include a street, road, bridge, highway, landmark, point of interest, traffic incident or alert, road construction, or traffic camera.

A presenter 305 may select an interactive element using touch screen 140. FIG. 4 illustrates an interactive element appearing in a virtual broadcast presentation 300 displayed on touch screen 140. In one embodiment, an interactive element 410 (i.e., traffic incident) may be marked by a particular icon, image, or symbol (e.g., an arrow pointing to the location of the traffic incident), as shown in FIG. 4. When an interactive element is selected, additional information related to that interactive element may be displayed. In one embodiment, an interactive element marking a traffic incident may be selected resulting in detailed textual information describing the traffic incident being displayed within presentation 300 (not shown).

Returning to FIG. 3A, presentation 300 may include images of vehicles 315 appearing along a specific roadway or highway. A vehicle 315 may be animated, for example, to show the speed and direction of traffic along a particular highway. Presentation 300 may also use color coding to demonstrate real-time traffic conditions. Color coding may help a viewer of the presentation 300 to quickly understand real-time traffic conditions associated with a depicted map or location. Presentation 300 may include a legend 320 describing various objects or color representations used in presentation 300. A ‘green’colored section of a road, street, or highway, for example, may represent that real-time traffic is moving at a speed of 50 miles per hour or higher (e.g., normal or optimal conditions). A ‘yellow’ colored highway may represent traffic speeds of 25 miles per hour or higher (e.g., delayed conditions), while a ‘red’ colored highway may represent traffic speeds that are less than 25 miles per hour (e.g., slow or impacted conditions).

The presentation 300 may also display one or more soft keys with various functionalities such as orientation key 325, tilt key 330, rotation key 335, synchronization key 340, previous and next presentation display keys 345A-345B, and mode key 350. Presenter 305 may actuate a soft key to facilitate or enhance the understanding of the content of presentation 300. For example, presenter 305 may use tilt key 330 to adjust or modify a view or perspective of presentation 300 vertically or horizontally. The presenter 305 may also change the perspective of presentation 300 by actuating rotation key 335. Changing the perspective of presentation 300 may alter the orientation of the presentation such that a ‘north’ direction of a map or image is not oriented at the top of touch screen 140. As such, presenter 305 may actuate orientation key 325 to return the ‘north’ direction to the top of touch screen 140. In one embodiment, presenter 305 may touch a soft key with one finger or hand (e.g., tilt key 330 or rotation key 335) while using the other hand to activate the functionality of the soft key (e.g., move or adjust the touch screen in the desired direction).

The presentation 300 may also include a synchronization key 340. Presentation 300 may be generated based on information received in real-time or near real-time through execution of communications module 210. Presenter 305 may actuate synchronization key 340 to cause the synchronization of data in real time such that presentation 300 reflects the most current information and conditions. In one embodiment, synchronization of data may be done automatically. In another embodiment, presenter 305 or another user may program or instruct computing device 110 to synchronize data at regular time periods (e.g., every 10 seconds, every minute, every two minutes, etc.).

A presenter 305 may zoom in or out of presentation 300 by actuating keys corresponding to a particular view of the presentation, such as a previous key 345A and a next key 345B. For example, previous key 345A may revert to a presentation that offers a zoom out view while next key 345B may allow a view that zooms in from the current view. Previous and next keys may, alternatively, be assigned zoom in or zoom out functionality. Presenter 305 may actuate a particular key (345A, 345B) multiple times to further zoom in or out of the current view. In one embodiment, the previous key 345A and next key 345B may be used to display or shift to a different image or map within presentation 300.

The presentation 300 may also include mode key 350. Presenter 305 may operate presentation 300 in different modes such as ‘trip time mode’ or ‘navigation mode.’ Presenter 305 may switch between various modes by actuating mode key 350. Presenter 305 may use navigation mode to view presentation 300 as described in FIG. 3B below. Trip time mode is discussed in further detail in FIGS. 6A and 6B below.

FIG. 3B illustrates the virtual broadcast presentation 300 of FIG. 3A following manipulation by presenter 305. Presenter 305 may manipulate presentation 300 in navigation mode to review or illustrate real-time traffic conditions (e.g., average traffic speeds, traffic incidents, etc.) associated with various locations depicted in presentation 300. A view of presentation 300 may be manipulated to give the effect of ‘flying,’ or scrolling through the three-dimensional virtual representation of the traffic map and images. As presenter 305 scrolls through presentation 300, various interactive elements may be highlighted and/or become available for selection. FIG. 3B illustrates presentation 300 of FIG. 3A following presenter 305 touching touch screen 140 and scrolling through presentation 300. As a result, presentation 300 (as shown in FIG. 3B) shows a magnified portion of presentation 300 (i.e., the intersection of highways 287 and 107) and the associated traffic conditions (e.g., traffic speeds).

Presenter 300 may interact with presentation 300 using other interaction techniques known in the art. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates the interaction technique of “pinching” (e.g., zooming in or out of presentation 300) used with virtual broadcast presentation 300 displayed on touch screen 140. As shown in FIG. 5, presenter 305 may interact with presentation 300 by touching touch screen 140 and bringing two fingers closer together (on one hand or with two). Such motion may cause the view associated with presentation 300 to zoom out of the current viewpoint.

Besides zooming in or out of presentation 300, presenter 305 may also manipulate presentation 300 by panning, tilting, and/or rotating the view. For example, as presenter 305 touches touch screen 140 to scroll through presentation 300, touch screen 140 generates a corresponding signal that is received in conjunction with execution of the communications module 210. In turn, the presentation rendering module 220 may be executed to move or rotate the presentation 300 a corresponding amount as presenter 305 manipulated the touch screen 140. The correspondence of the presentation 300 to manipulation of the touch screen 140 gives the presenter 305 the sensation of directly controlling the presentation 300. Such manipulation of the view may also be used in selecting interactive elements. For example, if a particular interactive element may be selected only when near the center of the presentation 300, the presenter may cause the view to be manipulated such that the particular interactive element is centered and therefore selectable.

FIGS. 6A-6B illustrate a virtual broadcast presentation in ‘trip time mode.’ Presenter 305 may activate trip time mode by actuating mode key 350. Once trip time mode has been activated, presenter 305 may select an interactive element corresponding to a first location or starting point by touching the interactive element within presentation 300 displayed on touch screen 140. As shown in FIG. 6A, presenter 305 has selected or designated “83^(rd) Ave” as a starting point. Following selection of the first location, display 355A may appear confirming the selection of presenter 305.

Presenter 305 may then select another interactive element corresponding to a second location or end point or travel destination by touching a second interactive element within presentation 300 displayed on touch screen 140. As shown in FIG. 6B, presenter 305 has selected or designated “1st Ave” as an end point. Following selection of the second interactive element, trip calculation module 250 may calculate the estimated amount of time required to traverse the real world distance from the first selected interactive element (i.e., “83^(rd) Ave”) to the second interactive element (i.e., “1st Ave”) in real-time considering, at least in part, information from information sources 130. For example, trip calculation module 250 may consider various conditions affecting travel such as weather conditions or traffic conditions such as a recent accident, a road closure, or any other delay. Display 355B may then display the estimated trip time (i.e., “28 minutes”), as well as any condition affecting travel such as weather conditions or a traffic delay, within presentation 300 on touch screen 140. Display 355B may also show the route (i.e., highway “25”) associated with the calculated trip time.

Besides calculating the estimate trip time in real-time, trip time module 250 may calculate or forecast the estimated trip time based on a time of day and/or date (i.e., special day or occasion) designated by presenter 305. For example, presenter 305 may want to determine the estimated trip time at 9:00 AM (e.g., morning rush hour) or at 8:00 PM (e.g., a later evening hour). As another example, presenter 305 may want to determine the estimated trip time when departing at a particular time on the Labor Day holiday or on a date when a sporting event, concert, or other large gathering is scheduled at a venue. In trip time mode, presenter 305 may input the desired time of day and/or date and select a starting point and end point for trip time calculation. In another embodiment, trip time mode may also be used to calculate an estimated travel distance between two selected locations (not shown). The calculated estimated travel distance may also be displayed within presentation 300.

FIGS. 7A-7B illustrate a traffic camera appearing within virtual broadcast presentation 300 displayed on touch screen 140. In one embodiment, an interactive element appearing in presentation 300 may include a traffic camera (710A, 710B). Presenter 305 may select traffic camera 710A by touching the traffic camera 710A within presentation 300 displayed on touch screen 140 (as shown in FIG. 7A). Following selection of traffic camera 710A associated with a particular location, a live video feed 720 corresponding to the location of a real-world traffic camera may be displayed within presentation 300 (as shown in FIG. 7B). Presenter 305 may then use live video 720 feed to view actual traffic conditions associated with the real world location of traffic camera 710A.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method 800 for touch screen interaction with traffic data presented in a virtual broadcast presentation. The steps of method 800 may be performed in varying orders. Steps may be added or subtracted from the method 800 and still fall within the scope of the present invention. The steps of the process of FIG. 8 may be embodied in hardware or software including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a processor of a computing device.

At step 810, a real-time, virtual broadcast presentation 300 is generated. The presentation 300 may be based on dynamic information and may be two-dimensional or three-dimensional. Execution of the presentation rendering module 210 may perform step 810. The dynamic information may include real-time traffic information or real-time weather information and be received from the information sources 130 in conjunction with execution of the communications module 210.

At step 820, a signal generated by touch screen 140 may be received. The signal generated by touch screen 140 may be based at least partially on the selection by a presenter of an interactive element displayed within presentation 300 on touch screen 140. The signal may also be based on the actuation of other components included in the touch screen 140 such as soft keys. Step 820 may be performed by execution of the communications module 210. Receipt of the signal in step 820 allows for processing of presentation 300 at step 830.

At step 830, presentation 300 is processed in response to the signal received at step 820. Execution of the presentation rendering module 220 may perform step 830. Presentation 300 may be processed, for example, to allow for real-time manipulation of presentation 300 and various views thereof such as zooming in and out, scrolling, panning across, tilting, or rotating presentation 300. Presentation 300 may also be processed based on the actuation of a particular soft key displayed within presentation 300 on touch screen 140.

At step 840, presentation 300 is updated in response to the processed signal from step 830. Execution of the presentation rendering module 220 may perform step 840. For example, presentation 300 may be updated to show a manipulated viewpoint desired by presenter 305 (e.g., rotated or tilted presentation). Presentation 300 may also be updated to show presentation 300 in a particular mode such as ‘navigation mode’ or ‘trip time mode.’ Presentation 300 may also be updated to display information associated with an interactive element selected by presenter 305, such as information regarding a traffic incident, road closure, or average travel speeds.

Any number of additional and/or optional steps that are not otherwise depicted may be included in method 800. These steps may include selection of an interactive element included in the virtual broadcast presentation using touch screen 140 or feedback being provided to the presenter to inform the presenter that an interactive element is selectable.

It is noteworthy that any hardware platform suitable for performing the processing described herein is suitable for use with the invention. Computer-readable storage media refer to any medium or media that participate in providing instructions to a central processing unit (CPU) for execution. Such media can take forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile and volatile media such as optical or magnetic disks and dynamic memory, respectively. Common forms of computer-readable storage media include a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM disk, digital video disk (DVD), any other optical medium, RAM, PROM, EPROM, a FLASHEPROM, or any other memory chip or cartridge.

Various forms of transmission media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to a CPU for execution. A bus may carry data to system RAM, from which a CPU retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by system RAM may optionally be stored on a fixed disk either before or after execution by a CPU.

The foregoing detailed description of the technology herein has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The described embodiments were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the technology and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the technology in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the technology be defined by the claims appended hereto. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for touch screen based interaction with traffic data, the method comprising: generating a three-dimensional virtual broadcast presentation by processing a plurality of two-dimensional satellite images, wherein the virtual broadcast presentation includes a soft key and traffic data received from one or more information sources, wherein the traffic data is automatically synchronized to reflect the most current information available; receiving a first signal generated by a touch screen in response to a user touching the soft key; receiving a second signal generated by the touch screen, the second signal based on user manipulation of the touch screen; manipulating a view of the virtual broadcast presentation based on the received first and second signals, wherein the manipulation of the view corresponds to the manipulation of the touch screen and includes rotating or tilting the virtual broadcast presentation; receiving a third signal generated by the touch screen, the third signal based on user interaction with the touch screen, wherein the user interaction includes selection of an interactive element included in the virtual broadcast presentation, and wherein the manipulation of the view caused the interactive element to be selectable by the user; processing the third signal generated by the touch screen; and updating the virtual broadcast presentation in response to the processed third signal.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive element is a traffic alert.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive element is a traffic camera showing a real time traffic condition associated with a real world location of the traffic camera.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating an estimated travel time between two selected locations displayed in the virtual broadcast presentation, wherein the user interaction includes selection of a first interactive element corresponding to a first location designated as a starting point and selection of a second interactive element corresponding to a second location designated as an end point.
 5. The method of claim 4, further including displaying the calculated estimated travel time within the virtual broadcast presentation on the touch screen.
 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the calculated travel time is based on a designated time of day.
 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the calculated travel time is based on a condition affecting travel.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating an estimated travel distance between two selected locations displayed in the virtual broadcast presentation, wherein the user interaction includes selection of a first interactive element corresponding to a starting point of the travel distance and selection of a second interactive element corresponding to an end point of the travel distance.
 9. The method of claim 8, further including displaying the estimated travel distance within the virtual broadcast presentation on the touch screen.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the virtual broadcast presentation includes displaying information regarding the selected interactive element.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein manipulating the view further includes zooming in or zooming out of the virtual broadcast presentation.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein manipulating the view further includes scrolling through the virtual broadcast presentation.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the virtual broadcast presentation is further based on weather data received from an information source.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the virtual broadcast presentation is further based on information about a newsworthy event received from an information source.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the newsworthy event is a school closing.
 16. A system for touch screen based interaction with traffic data, the system comprising: memory; a processor; a communications module stored in memory and executable by the processor to receive: a first signal generated by a touch screen in response to a user touching a soft key viewable via the touch screen; a second signal generated by the touch screen, the second signal based on user manipulation of the touch screen; and a third signal generated by the touch screen, the third signal based on user interaction with the touch screen, wherein the user interaction includes selection of an interactive element included in a virtual broadcast presentation; and a presentation rendering module stored in memory and executable by the processor to: generate a three-dimensional virtual broadcast presentation by processing a plurality of two-dimensional satellite images, wherein the virtual broadcast presentation includes the soft key and traffic data received from one or more information sources, wherein the traffic data is automatically synchronized to reflect the most current information available; manipulate a view of the virtual broadcast presentation based on the received first and second signals, wherein the manipulation of the view corresponds to the manipulation of the touch screen and includes rotating or tilting the virtual broadcast presentation; process the third signal generated by the touch screen; and update the virtual broadcast presentation in response to the processed third signal.
 17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a selection module stored in memory and executable by the processor to allow for selection of the interactive element.
 18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a feedback module stored in memory and executable by the processor to inform a user that the interactive element is selectable.
 19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a trip calculation module stored in memory and executable by the processor to determine an estimated travel time or travel distance between two selected locations.
 20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a program embodied thereon, the program executable by a processor to perform a method for touch screen based interaction with traffic data, the method comprising: generating a three-dimensional virtual broadcast presentation by processing a plurality of two-dimensional satellite images, wherein the virtual broadcast presentation includes a soft key and traffic data received from one or more information sources, wherein the traffic data is automatically synchronized to reflect the most current information available; receiving a first signal generated by a touch screen in response to a user touching the soft key; receiving a second signal generated by the touch screen, the second signal based on user manipulation of the touch screen; manipulating a view of the virtual broadcast presentation based on the received first and second signals, wherein the manipulation of the view corresponds to the manipulation of the touch screen and includes rotating or tilting the virtual broadcast presentation; receiving a third signal generated by the touch screen, the third signal based on user interaction with the touch screen, wherein the user interaction includes selection of an interactive element included in the virtual broadcast presentation, and wherein the manipulation of the view caused the interactive element to be selectable by the user; processing the third signal generated by the touch screen; and updating the virtual broadcast presentation in response to the processed third signal. 